Roadtrip
by MydnytAngel
Summary: Damon comes to tell Elena goodbye after finding out Katherine is alive. What will she say?
1. Chapter 1

Elena stared at the blank page of her diary, unsure of where to even start. The thoughts in her head were whirling around so fast, she couldn't grab one to jot it down. She looked up at the clock on the wall of the living room at Bonnie's house. It was early morning, almost time for the sun to come up, but she hadn't slept. She was sure Bonnie hadn't either. Her head felt big, numb, just like her heart. It hurt. She almost lost both Stefan and Damon tonight. And Bonnie's Grams…

Tears slid down her face and she closed her diary. She couldn't write anything right now. She wiped her wet cheeks and sniffled as she got to her feet. It was her fault that Bonnie's grams had died… because she had tried to save both of the vampire brothers. And Damon, the look in his eyes, betrayal, and something else that she couldn't place. But she had gotten them out. But Katherine wasn't in the tomb, and she didn't understand. Where could the vampiress be? Katherine was Damon's whole reason for being, everything he did; he did out of love for Katherine, to be with her.

Her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket and she pulled it out, seeing a text message from Damon. She hadn't been expecting that. Damon hadn't said two words since leaving the tomb, not even when she had hugged him in the woods. 'I'm outside.' Her brows drew together, but she headed out to the front porch, pocketing her cell phone. "Damon?" She called softly.

In his usual way, he appeared beside her in a heartbeat, startling her. "Thanks," he said, softly. He didn't have his usual cocky demeanor, he was just, sad, distant. And she couldn't blame him.

"You okay?" She asked, reaching him for instinctively. She was worried, especially after what had happened. She had said goodbye to them and went home with Bonnie, and hadn't heard much from Stefan about what was happening. She had expected him to be looking for Katherine by now, finding out where she was buried so he could bring her back, but Stefan had been vague, just telling her nothing was happening.

Damon took a step back from her, and she snapped her hand back as if she'd been hit. Damon didn't usually flinch away from her, no matter what. "I'm sorry Elena," he said, softly. "But it hurts."

Elena bit her lip, and folded her arms over her chest. "Because I look like her," she stated. That was obvious. She looked like the woman that had shattered his heart. That had ruined his life. So no wonder he didn't want her to touch him. That hurt more then she could care to admit, but she tried not to let it show.

He cleared his throat and continued. "I came to tell you that I'm leaving town," he said, leaning against the pillar of the white porch. He stared off into the night, as if the darkness held the answer to all his questions. "Katherine is still alive. She was never in that tomb. I'm going to find her."

"What?" Elena whispered. Alive? That wasn't possible. Not after this. Everything that had happened tonight had been for nothing. A lump formed in her throat and she sat on the porch swing, her legs unable to support her. "She's alive? Why… why did you come over here to tell me that?" Why should she care if Katherine was alive or not, she didn't understand why she needed that bit of information from him, why it couldn't just be said on the phone or why she couldn't hear it from Stefan?

"To be honest," Damon said, chuckling. "I'm really not sure. You make me crazy. And it doesn't help that you look like Katherine, or that you love Stefan." He paused and rubbed his face. "I just… felt like you deserved for me to tell you that I was leaving, and not hear it from Stefan." He could so read her mind, or the expression on her face. He always knew what she was thinking.

Elena was sure every emotion that was in the book came to the surface and assaulted her. "Why?" She whispered, in confusion. "How can you want to be with someone like her? After she lied to you all this time?" Jealousy, confusion, and anger, were all displayed in a few questions. She almost wished she could take them back, but it was too late.

An eyebrow went up on Damon's face. "I can't turn off my feelings, Elena," he said. "Neither can you. You still love Stefan, even when he lied to you. Don't be a hypocrite. Why do you care anyways?"

That was the question of the hour, and she chose to ignore it. "You're right," she observed, toying with her necklace. "He did keep secrets from me." More times then she could count. She couldn't forget that he knew she was adopted, and he never told her. No one ever told her, even her own family. She felt like every time she turned around he had some new big thing to tell her. He never laid all his cards out on the table. But she couldn't worry about that now.

"Then how can you tell me not to go look for her?" He asked, coming to stand in front of her as she sat on the swing. "How can you tell me that I shouldn't fight to be with the one I love?"

Elena rose to her shaky feet and faced him. "The one you loved has cost people their lives," she choked out. "Bonnie's grandmother died from that stupid spell to rescue the one that you love. And she wasn't even in there, Damon!" She pushed him back away from her and paced around the porch. "Everything that happened tonight was for nothing. You and Stefan both could have been locked in there, and I made her keep the spell going so I could get you out, and now she's dead." She covered her face as she burst into tears.

Damon stared at her for a moment, trying to process all the things she had said. He made his way toward her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. "Elena," he whispered, sliding his hands up to her cheeks to lift her gaze. The severity of what happened had hit them both and he understood where she was coming from.

"If she wanted to be with you why isn't she here?" Elena whispered looking up at him as tears slid down her puffy cheeks. "Why do you want to go after her after what's happened? Why does it have to be like this?" She didn't make sense even to herself, and probably not to him. Her small hands locked on his wrists, trying to find an answer to the miserable mess that had become her life.

"I'm very sorry about Bonnie's grandmother, Elena," he said, softly. He shook his head, and she could see the genuine apology he was making. "I really am. I never thought anything would happen, I swear. Nothing went like it was supposed to. I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of this. But I have to go find Katherine. I have to know why she didn't come to me after all this time. I need answers."

"You can't go alone," Elena said, pulling away from him and wiping her cheeks. She needed him to not touch her so she could think, and get her bearings. She stared at the roof of the porch and bit her lip. It was hard to do that with him so close to her. She couldn't believe what she was suggesting. "I can't leave tonight, but we can make plans tomorrow."

"You're offering to come with me?" Damon asked, with surprise. She really couldn't believe she suggested another road trip with Damon herself. She really needed to start thinking about things before she brought them up, but she could use the vacation. She needed to get away from Mystic Falls, away from everything that happened tonight. But she couldn't leave Bonnie tonight, so it had to wait 'til morning.

"You said you enjoyed my company last time," she pointed out, offering him a small smile. "But if you want to go alone, that's fine. It might make it awkward if I'm there when you finally find her." She didn't like the pang in her heart at thinking about them together. It wasn't supposed to be this way at all. She was supposed to be with Stefan but there was no way she could deny her feelings for Damon. And the thought of him with Katherine made her grin with envy. Katherine wasn't worthy of him. Damon deserved someone who would treat him right and not disappear for a century.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said softly. "Get some sleep."

Sleep sounded wonderful and Elena breathed a little sigh of relief as she once again raised her arms to embrace him and this time he returned it. "Good night," she said, breathing in his scent.

Damon kissed her temple and released her. "Sweet dreams," he whispered, and then he was gone, leaving only the wind to rustle her hair around her face.

She went back inside, finding Bonnie sitting in the kitchen. "Hey," she said, not letting her voice crack as she joined her best friend at the table. "Couldn't sleep?" There was a lot of that going around. She was never going to get to sleep now that she spoke to Damon. Her thoughts were more of a jumbled mess then before. She had a lot of things to take care of now.

"Where were you?" Bonnie asked, staring at the cup of tea in front of her, which had barely been touched.

Elena sighed. Her best friend was not going to approve of her answer. "Talking to Damon," she admitted. No reason to lie. She knew Bonnie would be upset, after all Damon wasn't her favorite person. For more reasons than one.

Bonnie's eyes flashed. "How could you?" She asked. "It's his fault Gram's is dead."

"Bonnie, I know you're upset," Elena said, gently. "But we can't blame anyone person. There's so many what if's that come into play that could have changed what happened." It was her fault for going back in after Stefan and Damon, her fault for thinking they could do this without consequences. Damon didn't know that the spell would be harmful and neither had she. It was a freak accident, one that was crushing her.

"He's not a person," Bonnie growled, getting to her feet. "You used to hate him."

"He saved my life, Bonnie," Elena said. "When I was pinned in my car, he rescued me. I can't just brush that off. Especially now. His heart is broken right now. And I've seen the good in him." Many times. He could have done whatever he wanted to her in Atlanta and he hadn't. He had trusted her, more than once, and she trusted him with her life. She wasn't just going to ignore the good things he had done for her.

"He's a monster," Bonnie screamed. "Stefan would agree with me you know."

Elena frowned at the mention of her boyfriend's name. That was a road she didn't want to go down just yet. It was too hard, too bumpy. "I know you're angry but let's not talk about this tonight and get some sleep," she reasoned. She wanted to sleep, figure things out. She did not want to have a fight with her best friend in the process.

"It'll still be the same in the morning," Bonne said. "You know you don't have to stay. I want to be alone."

"Bonnie…"

"Leave," the witch demanded, heading up stairs.

Elena stared at the stair case in disbelief at what she just heard. But she knew Bonnie was just upset. She had good reason to be. She gathered her things and stuffed them in her book bag. She turned the lights off and locked the door behind her as she left. Now what? She couldn't walk home, not when she knew what lurked in the darkness. Her fingers were already typing on her cell phone when she heard man's voice, which startled her into a near heart attack.

"Need a lift?"


	2. Chapter 2

_She couldn't walk home, not when she knew what lurked in the darkness. Her fingers were already typing on her cell phone when she heard man's voice, which startled her into a near heart attack._

"_Need a lift?"_

_---_

Her heart was racing but Elena couldn't help but smile when Damon appeared at the bottom of the porch. It could have been anyone that showed up to offer her a ride, and she was very pleased that Damon had stuck around for a few minutes. So he heard what happened with Bonnie. But it took a lot to offend Damon, so she didn't really think that he cared. "How'd you guess?" She asked, following him down the walk way to his car that he had parked a few houses down. "Eavesdropping were you?" It was hard to be mad, since he was here to pick her up. Which meant she didn't have to call Stefan to come pick her up.

"Just looking out for you," he defended as they got in the car. After securing his seatbelt, be pulled away from the curb and proceeded down the dark road. There were no other cars, everyone was home, tucked in their comfy beds. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. But I heard what happened with the witch and I figured I'd stick around to make sure you were okay. So where to?"

Elena ran her fingers through her long hair and leaned her tired head against the window. "Home for clothes," she responded, stifling a yawn. "I'll need some stuff for this trip." She was already making a mental check list of what she needed as she tried to quite the butterflies in her stomach that were going to make her nauseous. It was different this time. She was choosing to go with Damon, and now she was wondering if it was a good idea. Did he really want her to come along?

"You're serious?" He asked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You really want to go on this trip?" She tried not to flinch at his question; it was almost like he didn't want her to go. And if that was the case, all she wanted him to do was say so. She could live with him wanting to go alone. It wasn't that big of a deal.

"Did you change your mind?" Elena asked shyly, staring at the imaginary lint on her pants. She couldn't bear to face him, to look at him while he told her he didn't want her to come. She desperately needed this little trip, and she wasn't going to lie, she wanted to spend time with Damon. And he was in a fragile state right now, with the whole Katherine thing, and she just couldn't let him face this alone. He would need a friend. "Do you not want me to go with you?"

"Didn't say that," he smirked, as he pulled onto her street. "I love your company. I tell you that all the time, and you don't seem to believe me. You're fun most of the time, when you're not being depressing. Should trust me once in awhile."

Trust. There was something they had to work on. He did a lot of things that she didn't approve of, things to her. But at the same time, he did a lot of things for her, and she knew that he cared about her. He could deny it all he wanted, she saw it; on their trip to Atlanta, and many times after that. Everything he had done, he had done to piss off Stefan, but that wasn't a problem at the moment, so hopefully they could build that bridge of trust with each other. She tried to ignore the flutter of her heart when he smiled at her. "You can't go alone Damon," she said. "So you could use some else on this trip and I doubt you'll be asking Stefan to join you." She paused and turned to look at his profile as he stopped in front of her house. "I know it hurts, to look at me and see her..."

"Don't!" Damon snapped then clenched his jaw. She sunk down in her seat at his sharp voice, knowing she had crossed a line with her last statement. "I don't see her. I used to, when we first met, because of how you looked, but I've gotten to know you. You're nothing like her, and I'm very grateful for that. Stefan is a very lucky man, he just doesn't know it. You know nothing of Katherine, and her vindictiveness, so don't make assumptions about her. I just have to know why she's not here with me. That's the sole point of this trip."

"Even if it breaks your heart?" She asked, as they parked in her driveway. What if they went on this trip, and when they found Katherine, he just took off with her. He loved Katherine so much, and she knew what it was like to just see that person again after so long. He could just take off with Katherine leaving her wherever they ended up. Or worse. He might hook up with Katherine and kill her. She didn't know what was going to happen, but was she willing to take the chance?

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you always this noisey?" He asked. He got out of the car and met her on her side of the vehicle with a smirk as he leered at her. "You ask me more questions than anyone else."

His attitude was pretty good for the situation they were in, and she took it as a good sign so far. He hadn't given her any reason to not go with him, to take a vacation. It was a side of him she hadn't seen in awhile. The sweetness that she knew he had. He was only a jerk when Stefan was around, and from the bits and pieces of the story she got about their past, she didn't blame him. "I'm concerned," she defended. "Meet me upstairs?" She didn't bother to wait for an answer as she quietly crept through her dark house. Damon was already at her window sill when she locked the door behind her. He gracefully slid inside once she pushed the window up. "I'll be fast."

"No such thing for a woman," he teased, sitting on the edge of her queen sized bed.

She hurled a pillow at him and caught him in the forehead. "Brat," she said, pulling clothes out of her dresser. "I don't need much." She was pretty simple. A few days worth of clothes some lingerie and a spare pair of shoes. Wasn't much. If they had to, they could stop at a Laundromat and do a load. They weren't going on some month long vacation. She left a note for Jeremy and zipped her duffel bag. "All done." She had caught him staring intently at her a few times and wondered what was going through his mind. She hoisted her bag out onto the roof before turning the lights off and unlocking her door. Damon was already on the roof when she returned to the window. "Catch me?"

Damon landed gracefully on his feet and looked up at her. "Always," he said, giving her a smile.

She tossed her bag down and her stomach flipped. Heights made her queasy. She didn't even go on roller coasters. Crouching on the edge, she bit her lip, trying to decide how she was going to do this. She sat down, her legs over the side before pushing herself off, squeezing her eye shut. She felt his strong arms come around her easily and she opened her eyes. "Nice job," she observed. She didn't think that he'd let her get hurt, but it was still an instinct. She didn't jump off buildings for a living, and she hoped she'd never have to do it again.

Carefully he set her on her feet, his arms reluctantly sliding from her body. She noticed that every time. He liked being close to her, touching her. "I'm glad you're coming," he murmured. "The trip will be less dull then a bag of potato chips. It'll be fun. But…what about Stefan? He's going to find out that you disappeared… he will put two and two together."

"I don't know Damon," she answered truthfully, as they headed back to his car. Things had changed with her and Stefan over the past few weeks. She loved him, and she didn't deny that, but there was something else. The secrets, the lies, they were just killing her. She wanted honesty and sometimes she felt like Stefan wasn't giving her that. "There's a lot going on right now and I just don't want to worry about anything if I don't have to."

"Sounds like you could use a vacation too," he commented, heading out onto the highway, going well over the speed limit. But when you could use mind control, she didn't think it mattered if he got pulled over. "I'll find us a nice hotel for the night, and then I'll do a locator spell for Katherine."

"You can do magic?" She asked, giggling. "All by yourself?" She watched the dark scenery fade as they pulled into the next town in less than ten minutes. She didn't get car sick, thank god, but talking to him relaxed her, made her not think about all the little things that would normally make her worry.

"It doesn't require much," he said, shrugging pulling in front of a very large hotel.

"Wow, Damon," she said, staring at it like a fish out of water. "I can't possibly afford to stay here." She wasn't made of money. Was he crazy? Did he think that she was a hundred and some odd years old too and had a savings account that could make Bill Gates eyes bulge?

"Nonsense," he said, shaking his head. "I'm a regular. Besides, I would never make you pay for anything. It's your vacation too after all. You're not supposed to be worrying about anything. Including money." He climbed out of the car, grabbing her bag before leading her inside. They skipped the front desk and took the elevator up three floors. Damon kept a gentle hand on her lower back as he guided her down the hall, and unlocked the door to 217. "Here we are."

Elena looked around with impressed eyes. It was large, a mini bar, two full sized beds. He was definitely thinking about her comfort when he chose this one. There were two large windows behind beige curtains with some strange textured pattern on it. The entrance had marble floors then turned into plush white carpet. "My God," she said, in shock. She slipped her sneakers off by the door and went to collapse on one of the beds. The blue comforter under was fluffy and soft as could be. It felt like a real vacation. "I could get used to this so easily."

He chuckled as he set her bag by the bed she had chosen. "You should get some sleep," he said, putting his own bag on the empty bed. "We're not in a rush to go anywhere, and you look tired." The dark circles forming under eyes between crying and exhaustion, she definitely needed to go to sleep. She never thought she'd be able to sleep after the events that had occurred, but she was definitely ready now.

"I could sleep like a rock," she said, her eyes already closed. She could sleep peacefully. There wasn't anything more scary around here then Damon. He'd keep the nasties away. That thought almost made her chuckle. She just hoped her nightmares wouldn't keep him awake. Did she snore? She hoped not. That would be embarrassing.

"You just relax," he said, standing by her bed. "I'm going to go get you some food to eat when you wake up." Her heart lurched and she sat up a little more quickly then she wanted to. He was going to leave her alone in this very large hotel? Seriously? He didn't even know what she wanted, she had to go with him. "Relax," he said, reaching out to caress her cheek. "You'll be safe here."

His touch felt like heaven against her cheek, and she could do little but believe him. The look in his eyes was begging her to trust him. "K," she mumbled, nodding. "Be careful." Then he was gone. She shed her jacket and her t-shirt, crawling under the comforter with a tank top and her jeans. Despite her anxiety, she couldn't fight it and her eyes fell closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Damon's POV

Damon returned not a half hour later, having only gone to the store right at the corner. He had a good idea what she might like to eat. He knew a lot about her even though she was supposedly Stefan's girl. He grabbed himself a snack as well before heading back to the sleeping girl. As soon as he walked into the hotel room, he noticed Elena was curled under the covers, her hands fisted in the pillow. Her face twisted as if in pain. He put the food in the small fridge before sitting next to her. "Elena?" He asked, touching her arm.

"Stefan," she whimpered, her legs shifting awkwardly under the large comforter. That was just what he wanted to hear, his little brother's name. Damon bit his lip and got off the bed. Of course Stefan was on her mind. He turned away, letting her have her sleep, but her next words stopped him. "Damon, run," she said, rolling on her back. A few tears slid out of her eyes. "Stefan, no!" He paused and watched her closely. She was dreaming about him, not his brother that thought he was a saint. "Damon!" She screamed as she shot straight up in bed.

Her scream pierced his heart, and he tried to ignore then sudden feeling of protectiveness he felt for her. How could one girl, who he had done everything in his power to pretty much make miserable bring out feelings he had long thought buried in his blackened heart? "Elena," he said, softly, cautiously sitting by her once more. "I'm right here." She looked absolutely terrified, disoriented. Whatever she was dreaming about, it had her so scared she didn't know where she was.

Her wild eyes darted around her surroundings for a moment before landing on him. "Oh god," she whispered, running her hands over her face. Her heart was racing faster than he had ever heard it before. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" What a change in the subject, but he was not going to let her get away with it that easily.

He raised an eyebrow at her but responded to her question. "I wasn't sleeping," he said. "You haven't been for very long either. What's wrong?" After the night she had with everything he didn't blame her for having nightmares, but about him?

She was already closing herself off from him, he could feel it. "Nothing, it was just a bad dream," she said, staring at the comforter. "Normal people have them. It was no big deal, so don't worry." She swung her legs over the other side of the bed and moved away from him.

"Elena," he said, softly. He almost couldn't blame her for not wanting to tell him what her dream was about, but he was insistent. They might as well have all their cards out on the table so they could move forward. "I heard you, calling out for me. You were scared. You were begging Stefan to leave me alone and for me to run. You can't tell me that it was nothing," he said, appearing in front of her. "You're dreaming about me for a reason."

Something flashed in her eyes, the usual spark he was used to seeing from her. But what came out of her mouth was far from what he expected. "What do you care?" Elena exclaimed, poking him in the chest. "I'm still going with you to find your girlfriend who doesn't give a rat's ass about you."

Before she could blink, she was pinned against the wall, his powerful knee gently wedged between hers. "You know what little girl, you're walking a very thin line," he growled. She pushed his last button, and she had just about sent him over the edge. He already had a short temper in general, which has shortened even more after the nights events. "You have no idea what's going on in my head or my heart. You have done nothing but play games with me since we met and I'm sick and tired of it." The gloves were off now, and he was done playing her game.

"Damon, let me go," she whispered, her eyes falling shut.

He had caught her off guard that was for sure. "See, I figured it out," he continued, holding her wrists lightly against the wall next to her head. He wouldn't hurt her. When he decided that, he wasn't sure, but he'd do everything in his power to keep her safe, but he still needed to hold his ground. She could easily mess his mind up and he needed to be focused. "You want me. Just admit it. I've done nothing to influence the choices you have made since you have that all powerful necklace that Stefan gave you. But that necklace only makes it so I can't control your mind. So deep inside you Elena, you want me."

Her head moved back and forth as she shook her head. "No," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," he growled next to her ear. It wasn't an angry growl, more one of frustration and want. "You chose to come on this trip with me. You just had a god awful nightmare about my little brother hurting me. Things have changed, and you're too scared to admit it. But you can't hide it from me. I won't let you." He placed a kiss on her shoulder, then on the side of her neck. He was taking such a risk but putting his mouth on her, severely over stepping his bounds. But her body trembled against his, which told him that she did not care."So why can't you just be honest with yourself?"

"Damon," she pleaded. "Please." Her breathing was labored as he felt her warm breath against his face. He loved the smell of her perfume, strawberries he thought. And it was faint on her skin still. Her scent was assaulting him, but he kept control.

He released her hands, but otherwise kept her pinned to the wall with his body. "Need more then that Elena." He gently stroked her cheek, hoping to ease her fears and show her that he wasn't going to hurt her. "It'll be so much easier for you, on your head and heart, if you just let yourself go."

Elena's eyes snapped open and she met his icy blue gaze, and he saw the sudden clarity in them. She used the wall as leverage and wrapped her legs around his waist. "You're right," she said her hand tangling in his hair. She leaned down and kissed him passionately.

Damon pressed her against the wall, sliding his hands down her sides. The warmth of her skin seeped into his, warming up his cool skin. His tongue moved against hers, suckling lightly producing a moan from her, He pulled back when he felt her need for oxygen. "Wow," he said in amazement. It had been a very long time since he had been kissed like that and he had a feeling it was the best kiss of her life. There was no going back now.

She was panting heavily as she looked down at him. "That was nice," she said, touching her kiss swollen lips. Her forehead gently rested against his as she struggled to pull air into her lungs. He had definitely sent her on a whirlwind these last few minutes.

His arms around her to support her, he walked over to one of the twin beds and laid her down. "What was your dream about?" He asked, lying beside her. His voice was soft, soothing, not wanting her to think that he demanded an answer out of her, and just hoping that she would chose to trust him with the bit of information.

She curled up against him and closed her eyes. "Stefan and you," she said. "Fighting. Never saw that kind of anger from Stefan. You were so hurt. And..." Her voice cracked and he could smell her tears, and he decided that was all he needed to know.

"It's okay. It was just a dream. I can handle Stefan if it came to that," he said, hugging her close to him. "I've got you know. I'll take care of you." He couldn't possibly give her up now. What was he going to do if they went back to Mystic Falls and she decided she still wanted to be with Stefan? He knew he was in trouble the moment he pinned her against the wall, but it was too late to go back.

"But what about Katherine?" She questioned, propping herself up on an elbow. And the infamous question on her mind was revealed. He knew she had concerns about everything that had happened recently. He had wanted Katherine back so badly, and he was ready to take her out of town and start their life. But it was different now. In just a few short hours, his feelings for her had started to change, and Elena was a very large part of that.

"I'm only going to find her to find out the truth," he said. "But… I'm not going back to her. I could never be with someone who kept themselves from me for over 100 years." He stroked her arm soothingly, trying to ease her mind and get her to trust him the hard way. "Elena, I'm not trying to pull a fast one on you."

Elena's POV

He couldn't compel her, so the look in his eyes was open and vulnerable. She knew what it took for him to reveal himself to her that way. "I believe you," she said, as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fished it out as Damon nipped gently at the flesh of her arm. "Hello?" Her eyes closed at his touch, her mind still reeling from the kiss she just shared with him. It was hot, intense. Yeah she had those with Stefan, but there was something more with Damon.

"Elena, where are you?" Stefan asked. "Damon's left town." Speak of the devil.

She rolled away from Damon's wandering lips so she could pay attention to her boyfriend. "He's looking for Katherine," she said, walking around the room trying to compose her thoughts. Almost immediately she knew she shouldn't have answered the phone. She'd much rather snuggle and make out with Damon then lie to her boyfriend about what was going on. But she didn't want to tell him over the phone.

Damon smirked and got to his feet as well, sliding his shirt over his head. She caught his eye before turning away from him, tapping her nails on the mini bar. A few moments later she felt his hands moving over her smooth arms, then sliding around her waist, stroking her navel under her tank top. What was he trying to do to her? Her thoughts were already on overload, she couldn't keep up and he just kept making it worse. But god it felt good. It felt right. She leaned back against him, trying to focus on Stefan's rant. She didn't tell him where she was, or who she was with, because he was already mad that she didn't want to see him right now. But Damon was making it near impossible to focus. "Stefan, I really can't talk about this now," she said, as Damon released the button of her jeans. Stefan had found out that Bonnie's grandmother had died and wanted to know why she hadn't told him right away. His voice started to fade as she lost interested in what he was saying.

Damon froze when she gripped his hand, but he stroked her hip gently. He placed a kiss on the side of her throat, before tugging on her ear gently. He could hear Stefan demanding to know where she was so he could come pick her up, but Elena wasn't listening. She was only making appropriate sounds to make it seem like she was paying attention. Her muscles went totally lax against him, a small on her face and he slid one hand down the front of her jeans, stroking the silk of her panties. He coaxed her feminine lips apart before sliding a long finger into her tight passage.

Elena clapped a hand over her mouth at the sheer sensation rippling through her body. "Stefan, I'll call you later," she said, hanging up the phone and tossing her phone somewhere on the soft carpet. "Oh god, Damon." She couldn't believe the pleasure that was moving through her body. She had never felt anything like what he was doing to her.

He removed his finger and pushed her jeans passed her hips, giving her time to still change her mind. "If we don't stop now, I'm afraid where it will lead," he said, stroking her smooth bare legs.

She slid an arm up behind her in a hug. "Don't stop," she said, firmly. She was young, and curious. And she deserved to have fun tonight. It was very easy to make her choice to allow Damon to continue his ministrations, and she almost surprised herself how much she trusted him to do this with her.

Damon nearly danced with joy at her words, but he had to be careful not to push her fast. He knew she wasn't a virgin. He had heard the noises from Stefan's room before he had left for the night. And now that he thought about it, it was the same night she wrecked her car. But he didn't bring that up right now. "I think the cat is out of the bag with Stefan," he pointed out, sliding his fingers over her skin with feather light touches. No reason to rush it, they had a lot of time together.

Her skin hummed under his caress as she processed his words. "Tonight I'm with you," she said, turning her head towards his. "No one else is on my mind." She kissed his cheek softly, softly running her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.

"It's going to be a hell of a ride, Elena," he said, nipping her throat, once again his hand moving to the cleft of her thighs. Lightly he teased her entrance, not quite allowing his fingers full access to her searing heat. She had no experience and he was more than happy to be the one to show her. She mumbled something about him being unfair as she squirmed and he smiled. "I promise it'll be good, but it'll be slow." He lifted her lax leg to prop her left knee on a bar stool, opening up her center.

Elena gripped the counter so hard her knuckles turned white as he slid two fingers inside of her. She has read enough romance novels to know what he was doing as he pinched her nub lightly, almost teasingly. "Damon," she gasped.

His free hand slid up her shirt resting below her bra as his thumb stroked the underside of her breast. "You're so beautiful," he said, softly, pulling both his hands back, far too soon for her taste.

"No," she protested, reaching for him, smiling when he spun her around. His eyes were black with desire and she slid her hands over the smoothness of his chest. "You're pretty amazing." She was more than pleased when her feet left the carpet as he carried her over to the bed setting her down on the edge. His lips were immediately on hers for a brief kiss before continuing their trek down her neck, nipping and suckling. After her neck was red, his moved lower, a lot lower, pausing at her black panties, causing her to shift her legs. "Nervous?" He asked genuinely.

Elena bit her lip and blushed. "Um... a little," she admitted, once she realized his intentions as he crouched in front of her. "You don't have to."

"What if I want to?" He asked, crawling back up her body at her hesitation. "I want to teach you knew things. In the bedroom and outside. Think you could trust me to do that for you?" He didn't want this to be a onetime thing. He wanted something real with her, and that scared her a little bit. But she wasn't in to one night stands, and she was ready to deal with the consequences when they returned home.

"I trust you," she said, automatically, and she took a deep breath. He wasn't hurting her, but he was making her feel incredibly god. It just came as a natural human emotion to be nervous. Carefully, she moved her knees so she could cradle him between them. "Show me."

On instinct his lips smashed against hers in a bruising kiss, one hand cradling the side of her cheek. He moved against her unable to keep still and her hands moved over his abs, searching for his belt buckle. She loosened it quickly along with the button and the zipper. She smiled when he wiggled out of them, rolling to the side of her, now fully naked. She took it as her last and final out but she ignored it. His nobleness was sweet, and she was sure it took a lot of control on his part, but she didn't need it. She gave him a grin of her own and sat up next to him. She turned her back to him as she lifted her tank top over her head and undid her bra, leaving her only in her black panties.

He got up on his knees behind her and rubbed her back as he kissed her shoulder. The things he was going, to relax her, make her feel as comfortable as possible, and as good as possible. She wished he never stopped. His hands moved around her small rib cage to cup her full breasts. The pad of his thumbs moved over her nipples, quickly bringing them to rough peaks.

Her fingers dug into the strong muscles of his leg, leaving little half moons in his skin as she squirmed on the bed. "You're killing me," she moaned her head titling back along side of his and she kissed the underside of his jaw. The ache between her thighs was kind of new. Her first and only time with Stefan had been short, and to the point. Damon's touches were setting her skin ablaze with passion she didn't know she possessed.

He chuckled and bit her skin softly before he gently pushed her back on to the bed. "I'm not the one who still has clothes on," he pointed out, his eyes raking over her body.

"Do something about it," she said huskily lounging against the pillows. She didn't usually have this much confidence, but Damon was bringing it out in her. She couldn't take her eyes off his body, muscles of steel wrapped in velvet. She was ready, and her heart was already telling her she had chosen the wrong brother the first time around. She had allowed Stefan to fill her head with awful thoughts of Damon. Thoughts that were long gone now.

"You know I will," he said, pulling her to the edge of the bed. "You look much sexier without them." His hands hooked under the narrow straps at her hips and she raised them, and in a flash they were in some random place around the room. Damon kissed her navel, slowly moving her knees apart. "Trust me Sweetheart." She didn't hesitate, and even made a bold choice to lift her feet up to the bed, allowing him better access. He hummed in approval, kissing her inner thigh, which then quivered. He stroked her outer hips slowly, relaxing her muscles before his tongue finally pierced her wet folds.

Elena cried out in pleasure her hands tangling in his hair tightly. Her body arched into his, feeling him explore her walls. It was seconds before he found her nub and he sucked on it, hard. White hot pleasure rocked her body, as she convulsed around him quickly. "Damon," she whimpered. "Oh god." She trembled from the aftershocks as the spots disappeared from her vision. Her legs felt like jell-o as they slid off the bed around him and he licked his lips. She couldn't even be modest if she wanted to.

"I guess you liked it," he said, scooping her up and moving her up to the pillows. "Didn't think you'd respond so quickly."

She took that as a compliment and found it endearing that he lifted her up to top of the bed. She curled up next to him, laying her head on his chest. "That was intense," she said. Her legs were still quivering from her powerful orgasm. "I can't feel my legs."

"I'm very glad I got to show you that experience," he said, kissing her hair. "You know Elena, not to ruin the mood, but we have to figure out what we're going to do. You're very special, and I would never ever want to see you get hurt. I like you. I'm not just trying to take you away from Stefan. It's my heart on the line again too. I took a chance hoping that you'll choose me and you really haven't yet. I'm just hoping I'll still be your choice when we get home."

Elena stared at the wall for a moment before moving her head back so she could look up at him. For him to admit his feelings in such an open way to her, meant a lot. "I could never forget what just happened with us Damon and I don't know what's going to happen when we get home," she said. "But I promise you Damon Salvatore, that I will not break your heart. Can you trust me?" She hoped that was answer enough for her feelings, which she didn't want to reveal to him just yet. She just couldn't.

She could see the hesitation in his face and she didn't blame him. "I want to Elena," he said, softly. "But it's something that has to be earned. On both sides. And only time will determine that."

"Sounds fair," she said, stretching her sore muscles. "So now what?" Sex was not always as glamorous as it was in the books, and she felt the stickiness and ache that was now between her thighs.

"Shower," he said. "I'll do the spell quick. And we can be back on the road."

"Shower?" She asked, a slight sense of panic overwhelming her. She had never been naked this long with anyone and she didn't know how far they were going to push the physical side of their relationship.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't worry so much, Sweetheart," he said running his strong fingers through her long tresses. "As much as I'd love to join you, we'll never leave if I do. I'm not going to go anywhere and you can have some time to yourself, then we'll be ready to go. No rush."

She must have read into his intentions a little too much and she felt kind of silly. "I won't be long," she said, kissing him lovingly before climbing out of bed. She slid into her panties and tank top before grabbing her bag and wobbling toward the bathroom. She was almost disappointed that he wasn't joining her, but at the same time, they had to slow down a little. It was too much for her poor brain to take in.

Damon's POV

He lounged on the bed staring at the ceiling with a goofy smile on his face. Elena was perfect, open, caring. Things he had never had from anyone before. She was very special, and he didn't want to have to give her up. It would destroy him. He sighed and rolled out of bed. He was in way too deep already. He didn't get moody or depressed about these kinds of things. He wasn't Stefan. When he wanted something, he held on to it and fought for it. He didn't come up with a whole list of reasons why it wouldn't work. And there were plenty. His feeding habits were going to be an issue with her and he knew it. She didn't bring it up yet and she probably hadn't even thought about it yet. But she would. One day it would be a very serious road block.

He shook his head and cleared his mind as he set up the locater spell. He sat cross legged on the floor and closed his eyes as he chanted the spell.


	4. Chapter 4

Elena combed her wet hair, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. There was a small smile on her face, one that she just couldn't get rid of. Now that she was wearing clean clothes, she felt better, still a little sore, but otherwise fine. It was hard to believe the things she had let Damon do to her, the pleasure that she had felt, it was powerful, and she didn't regret one minute. Half those things didn't exist when she was with Stefan. That killed her smile, the thought of her boyfriend that was still at home probably freaking out at her absence. Pulling her long wet hair back into a pony tail she exited the bathroom smiling at Damon who was glancing out the window. "All set," she said, pulling her sneakers on. "Everything go okay?" No reason to allow her mood to be ruined, or to worry Damon with her thoughts.

"Spell is all set," he said, nodding. "I did grab you some stuff to eat for the trip last night. And we can stop somewhere before we leave if you're hungry." He grabbed their bags and glanced around once to make sure they didn't miss anything. "It's going to be a long drive."

She raised an eyebrow as they left the room. "How long?" She felt like she should carry something, but he was being such a gentleman as they headed to the elevator. Her phone vibrated, and there were twelve missed calls, three voicemails, and a bagillion text messages, all from Stefan. He didn't like being hung up on it looked liked.

"Two days if we're lucky," Damon answered, tilting his head as he looked at her. "You look worried. Your forehead is creasing like everyone else is on your mind."

Elena bit her lip, not really wanting to bring up the other brother, but Damon could pick up on these things, so there really was no reason to lie to him. Last time she told him she was fine, he broke through that in a matter of a half hour. The end result was an awesome orgasm, but still. "Stefan's been trying to reach me," she said. "Just something that's nagging me, because I know I have to take care of it."

"You can go home if you want," he said, keeping his eyes forward, but she knew him well enough he was just trying to mask his feelings. He had every reason to guard himself around her. She had a boyfriend back home and even after last night, he was still having doubts. After what Katherine just did to him, she couldn't blame him. It was going to take time.

"No," she said, grabbing his arm to make him look at her. "I meant what I said to you last night. I'm here with you. All the way, no matter what." She couldn't just fall at his feet, declaring her undying love for him, because it just didn't work that way. This wasn't the movies, although sometimes it felt like some god awful nightmare. But it was life, and everything was a very slow and painful process.

The elevator opened and he nodded once, leading her out to his car. He secured their bags in the trunk before getting in the driver's seat. "I know you care about Stefan, love him," he corrected. "What happened between you and I was recent. But Elena, you have to choose," he whispered, glancing over at her. "And if I'm your choice then we can deal with the rest. But if I'm not, don't play me. I can deal with it, even after the night we had, just don't make it any worse."

Tears shimmered in her eyes and she moved over next to him. He couldn't bear to have her hurt him, not after what just happened with Katherine, and she was going to make sure she wasn't the one to cause him pain. "This is all very fast Damon," she said. "Even for you. And I'm still trying to sort through my feelings. I care about you, so much. But I have feelings for Stefan too. I just know I want to be here with you right now. I don't want to be anywhere else. But I promise I will make my choice on this trip. Can you at least give me that?"

"Just don't make any decisions that you're going to regret," he said, starting the car.

Elena moved back over to her spot and buckled up. She pulled out her sunglasses and stared out the window. Why couldn't things just be simple? Of course it was her own fault that she was in this mess, as soon as she allowed Damon to cross that line. But she wasn't going back. How she was going to deal with it though, she had no idea. However, she understood what he was asking of her. She couldn't allow him to cross that line again if he wasn't her choice. She couldn't allow herself to cross that line. It would kill them both.

***

Twelve hours into the drive, it was pouring. Damon said they were making good time, and he slowed down a little for the storm, but he was still over the speed limit. Elena wished he would pull over, because it was so easy for the car to flip over, especially with this weather. She couldn't see out of the windshield it was raining so hard, so she stared into the blackness of the forest they were driving through. Didn't anyone have street lights these days? "Damon, just pull over," she suggested. She couldn't contain herself.

"Not in the woods," he said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous. We're almost in town. Just relax sweetheart, I'm being very careful." One of his hands crept over to hers to grip one of her nervous ones and she apologized, which he thought was very silly. "Don't be sorry," he said, as lightening lit up the sky. "You're human, it happens." He meant it in a good way, to help her lighten up.

All Elena could think about was her accident with her parents, and to have Damon just brush off her feelings like that hurt. "Yeah I have human emotions Damon. Sorry if that bothers you," she said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as she pulled her hand from his.

His jaw clenched as well as his fingers on the wheel. "Wow," he drawled his foot pressing down a little more in the gas. "Somebody's been in the car way too long." He looked over at her. "I have no problem with your emotions, so don't get cranky." His eyes went back to the road as he tried to understand what her deal was. It was just a little rain and she was trying to rip his head off.

"Slow down," she said, shifting in her seat. The storm was getting bad. There were leaves flying across the road and even with this high beams on she couldn't see much of the road. She knew Damon had good vision, but even he had to be having trouble seeing. They could hit a tree, or a guard rail, or a bridge. He wasn't superman, he didn't control everything.

"We're fine," he growled. "If you took five minutes to pull the stick out of your ass, you'd realize that I have things under control." She was making him angry, irritable. And it was starting to get to him, and at that moment all he wanted to do was smack her.

"Damon, you're going too fast," she said, her hands gripping the door and center console, anything she could reach. "We're going wreck." Her fingers were sore from the force of her grip, and she felt like she was going to pass out. She needed him to stop. It was like her parents accident all over again. She couldn't breathe.

"Best freaking news of my life," he grumbled, seeing her hands turn white next to his arm. He risked a glance at her face, and saw a tear slid down her cheek and the genuine fear on her face. He closed his eyes briefly but pulled the car over. "Elena?" The look on her face tugged at his heart, and he felt like a real jerk. He just couldn't do anything right when she was involved.

She released the door and took a deep breath. "Are you trying to kill me?" She said, unbuckling her seatbelt. Her fingers flex a little bit, trying to ease the ache in her joints, as she glared at him. "What was so hard about pulling over for a few minutes to see if the rain let up?"

He looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" He asked, glowering at her. "We're fine. It's just a little rain. No reason to turn into the bitch of the road." Kill her? She was pushing his very last button and he thought about it. But he would never purposely put her life in danger and she was being like this. Girl needed therapy.

Elena stared at him for a moment before she pulled the lock up on the door and got out of the car. She was soaked to the bone instantly as she walked down the road away from Damon. What an ass. She didn't care where they were or that it was raining. She thought he was starting to change, but maybe she was wrong. Had she made the wrong choice to come on this trip with him.

However, he cheated and used his vampire speed to catch her. "Have you lost your mind?" He flared, his hands holding her upper arms lightly. "You're going to get sick or killed out here." He hated the rain and now he was soaked, all the way through, as was she. But she could catch a bad cold, worse, something or someone could come out of the woods. She was very dense.

"What do you care?" She screamed over the downpour as she poked his wet chest. "You're being a jerk. This trip was a mistake." She felt bad for saying those words, but its how she felt. Her feelings couldn't be ignored, and if he was going to act like she wasn't important then they had a big problem.

He dropped his arms at her statement and she could see the walls come back up around him. "You can call your boyfriend when we get to town then," he said. "He can come get you."

"That's it?" She asked. "You're just going to pawn me off on Stefan?" Just like that he was willing to send her home? He didn't even want to fight for her, tell her how he felt about the situation.

"What do you want from me?" He yelled, waving his arms angrily. "I'm not your whipping boy, Elena. I'm not going jump through hoops and do what you say. You're not always going to get your way. If being here is a mistake then you don't need me. I'm a smart ass sometimes and I'm not changing for you."

"That's what a relationship is Damon," she said, taking a step toward him, her eyes blinking rapidly through the rain. "You make sacrifices for each. You compromise. And you were being more then a smart ass. I can deal with that, but if you're going to be an insensitive jerk, then it stops now."

"You're trying to change me," Damon said, running a hand through his wet hair. "I can change some things, but not who I am. And to be honest I'm soaked, and so are you. So let's go back to the car."

She tightened her lips but took his advice as she headed back to the Ferrari. She curled up in her seat as Damon got in beside her. The heat came on shortly after he started the engine. She didn't look at him, or speak to him as they drove through another town and arrived at another hotel. It was an awkward silence all the way up to their room and when he locked the door behind them, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"You should change," he said, disappearing into the bathroom.

Her hear t was still racing and she sat on a stool at the bar. What a mess they had now. But she had some time to think about what had happened, and she wanted to talk to him, work it out. She couldn't stand this not talking thing. She hated the silent treatment, no matter who it was from.

"Elena?" Damon asked, appearing beside her, lifting her gaze. He had changed already, only his hair was wet. "You need to get out of those clothes."

"Do you hate me?" She whispered, almost afraid of her voice cracking and bursting into tears. She didn't want to be weak, and she didn't want him to think she was a crybaby, but she couldn't help how pathetic her question sounded, even to her own ears.

His brows drew together. "Of course not," he said. "Let's get you dry and then we can talk about it, okay?"

She nodded and moved around him to grab her bag. Pausing in the bathroom, she leaned against the door and tried not to cry. She stripped out of her soaking wet clothes and dried off with a fluffy towel before putting on yoga pants and a hoodie. She took a deep breath and left the bathroom making her way to the large bed in the middle of the room. She smiled as a blanket came around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, staring at her hands. "I don't know what came over me. You were going so fast, and I just couldn't control myself."

Damon sprawled out next to her, an arm around her back. "Got to be more to it than that," he said. "What's wrong?" His fingers gently stroked her side, patiently waiting for an answer.

"Do you know about my parents?" She asked. "They died in a car accident. In the rain. I was in that car." She paused and shuddered as she took a breath. "Stefan apparently saved me from the car after it went off the bridge. He couldn't save my parents."

Damon was quiet for a few moments but he sat up to move closer to her. "I didn't know," he said, softly. "I knew they passed, just didn't know how." Everything made a little bit of sense now. "I wish you had told me. I wouldn't have been such a jerk." He felt horrible. No wonder she had freaked out like she had.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just… I couldn't think in the car, and it never came up before. I just forgot you didn't know. I don't want to fight Damon," she whispered, turning her head to look. "And I don't want to go home." She wanted to be here with him, by his side. They just had to work on their communication. It was a big obstacle with them. With all their past issues, they really needed to talk to each other, and be honest.

He slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. "I don't want you to leave either," he said, kissing the top of her wet hair. "Let's just get some sleep for the night." He pulled the covers down and spread the one over her shoulders on top to make sure she was warm enough for the night. "I can get another." He was tired, exhausted, both from driving and from Elena. And he could tell by looking at her that she needed to sleep too.

"I should be fine," she said, sliding into the warmth. She didn't expect him to slide in beside her, but she was pleased as she wiggled back against him. His strong arm came around her waist as he hugged her close to him. Her muscles finally relaxed in what felt like forever and she hummed as he whispered goodnight as she allowed her eyes to close.

***

When the sun beams streamed into the hotel room, Elena groaned. It felt way too early to be awake. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched. Damon was already awake and she heard the shower running as she got out of bed. With soft steps, she entered the bathroom and bit her lip. Maybe this was a bad idea, too bold on her part. The water shut off and he pulled a towel into the tub before opening the curtain. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked.

Elena's mouth dried up as she watched water drip over his muscles, and down his long arms. A single drop moved over his six pack and disappeared into the towel that was slung low on his hips. "Um… you should get dressed," she croaked. The thoughts that drifted around in her mind were too intense for even her. The things she wanted to do to him.

Damon raised an eyebrow in her direction. "You alright?"

She managed to drag her eyes to his. "Yeah," she said, her voice an octave higher than usual. "I'll just wait 'til you get dressed." And she snuck out of the bathroom, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart and the ache she felt. All of a sudden she felt like she needed him all the time, but she wasn't a slut, she had some self control.

Damon appeared a moment later, all dressed. "Elena?" He asked, jumping her from her thoughts. "You alright?" God the way he said her name, it made one go weak in the knees.

"You keep asking me that," she said folding her arms. "And I keep telling you that I'm fine. I just need some air." Air was good right now. She could think and breathe without her sense being put on overload. She just needed to go outside and have five minutes to herself and get everything under control.

"Don't go too far," he said shrugging. "We can leave soon."

Elena smiled and grabbed her phone before leaving. She needed a little bit of time to herself. She didn't think her feelings would get this strong, this fast. It was almost too much for her. She only went a few blocks and parked her butt on a bench. She couldn't think around him.

"Hard isn't it?" Came a female voice.


	5. Chapter 5

_She only went a few blocks and parked her butt on a bench. She couldn't think around him._

"_Hard isn't it?" Came a female voice._

***

Elena looked up quickly and froze as she stared into eyes identical to hers, almost like looking into a mirror. "Oh god," she whispered. "Katherine." What else could she do other then panic in the presence of the vampire? It was very freaky to be looking at this woman, who was much prettier then she was. Her hair was a bit shorter then Elena's and layered, her slender torso snug inside the black bustier that she wore, along with the black jeans that hung low her the woman's hips. No wonder Damon and Stefan swooned over her. She was gorgeous.

"Let's go see the man of the hour," Katherine said, grabbing Elena's wrist as they headed back to the hotel. "You'll never be me you know." Elena swallowed as Katherine's sharp canines flashed in the sunlight. Katherine couldn't compel her, she still had her necklace on, but that didn't mean anything. And her statement had crossed Elena's mind more then once. Would she always be competing with her for Damon's attention?

"I never wanted to be," Elena answered, as Katherine squeezed her wrist to the point of pain. She tried not to gasp or pull away, knowing it could make the situation worse. It was probably better to keep her mouth closed. How could Damon love someone that was so mean and vindictive? She was a horrible person that only strung him along.

"I mean he won't love you," the vampire said, as she arrived at the correct floor. She turned to face Elena. "One peep and I'll snap your neck. You know I will." An evil smile curved on her lips as she dragged Elena toward the room she shared with Damon. Elena tried to mask her fear, knowing this time would come, where he would see Katherine once again, and she had no idea what was going to happen. Was he going to go back to his old lover and leave her high and dry?

"Feel better?" Damon asked, lounging on the bed, an arm over his eyes. He was so carefree and relaxed without a care in the world, and totally oblivious to Katherine's presence.

"Very," Katherine answered. Her voice had a little bit of an accent, so it was slightly different then Elena's.

Damon's body tensed and he sat up slowly, taking in Katherine's form. "Katherine," he commented, gracefully getting to his feet. "Thought you were dead." His eyes never met Elena's and she wasn't sure what that meant. He never looked at her, his eyes were glued to Katherine. He couldn't get enough of her.

"Still dead," she smirked, taking a step toward him, yanking Elena with her. "Nice girl you got here. Poor excuse for a substitute." It took all of Elena's power not to have some smart ass comment. Who did Katherine think she was?

"She's not," Damon said, resting his hands on his hips. "What are you doing here Katherine?" He almost acted bored, like he almost didn't care that Katherine as there, but that could mean anything. It could be a ruse, it could be he was scared, Elena had no idea. Her wrist was starting to hurt from the pressure and she could feel the tension rising in the room.

"Weren't you looking for me?" She asked, innocently. "Thought you'd be happy to see me."

Damon growled and took an angry step toward her. "All this time, Katherine," he said. "Why didn't you come to me? You knew where I was, and you just… didn't care." His pain was starting to come to the surface, and Elena could see him starting to have a break down. He had kept his front up pretty well with her, but she knew it was going to crack at some point, and it looked like it was going to happen now.

"It was better that way," she answered. "For both of you."

"You think we've stopped fighting?" he asked, his voice rising in volume. "It's still the same. We were meant to be together, and you just… threw that all away." Damon was very good at keeping his feelings from others, and there was still a lot Elena didn't know about him, but she could see how much he had been hurting all these years had taken its toll on him. When you make someone you're whole world, and then they are gone, what do you have left?

Katherine released Elena and reached for Damon. "I did it for you Damon," she said. "To protect you."

Elena rubbed her wrist and she could see the turmoil Damon was in. He was always so strong and in control of himself, and Katherine was ripping him apart with just a few sweet words. Once again that woman was breaking his heart into a million pieces, and she didn't care. Elena longed to be by his side, and give him her support, but she dared not move from her spot. She wondered what would happen if Stefan was here, if Katherine would be saying all those things to Stefan as well.

Damon shook his head. "You were selfish," he growled. "You turned Stefan and I against each other. You thought you could have it both ways, to keep us both forever. I loved you so much, you have no idea, and Stefan is the one that betrayed you, not me. So you lied, made us think you were dead so you wouldn't have to chose. So don't try to feed me some garbage about how everything you did, you did for me."

"It's always been you," she whispered, reaching out to stroke Damon's cheek.

Elena felt tears well in her eyes at that statement. She could see the connection between them, and it hurt. In that moment, she knew. She couldn't stand to see Damon with anyone else. She clenched a fist and took an angry step toward them. "I've heard enough," she said, pushing Katherine away from Damon. "Do not touch him."

"You better stay out of this little girl," Katherine said as black veins appeared under her eyes. "I'll kill you before you can blink."

Damon moved in front of Elena, as her hands rested on his back. "You won't," he said. "I'm taking Elena home, and I want you to disappear." He was coming home with her? Just like that, he chose her?

"You're going to throw away everything we had together?" Katherine asked, taking a step toward him. "You know I'm stronger then you Damon, you can't take me."

"I've changed," he said, softly. Katherine hadn't seen him in over a century and had no idea what he was capable of now. Elena felt sorry for anyone that crossed his path and pissed him off. Anyone except Katherine.

In a flash, Katherine had Damon pinned against the wall, her hand tight around his throat. "I doubt that," she whispered, her lips millimeters from his. Elena thought they would kiss and couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach and she jumped when Damon punched Katherine in the face, knocking her over the bed. "Elena, run," he said. And she didn't hesitate to make a dash for the door.

"Stay," Katherine said and in a flash she was behind Elena, her hands fisted in her hair. "Told you, you couldn't take me, Damon." Her nose flared next to Elena's neck and she smiled. "Told you that you can't be me." And Katherine tossed Elena over the bar, where Elena crashed into the wall and fell to the floor, where she did not move. "See you in Mystic Falls, lover."

Damon ran to Elena's side, flinching at the blood that was pooling around Elena's head. "Oh God, Elena," he whispered, scooping her up carefully. "Hang on, Sweetheart."

***

Jenna ran into the emergency room, where Damon was waiting. "What happened?"

Damon's haunted eyes met hers. "She's in surgery," he said. He had driven Elena to the nearest hospital where they had airlifted her Mystic Falls. He had no choice but to call her aunt as soon as he was able, already having a story cooked up for the woman. "She fell down some stairs. They said she's in a coma." Then he noticed the doctor come through two swinging doors. "How is she?"

"Are you family?" The doctor asked, taking off his medical cap and mask.

"I'm her aunt," Jenna said, stepping forward. "Can we see her?"

"She's not awake," the doctor said. "We've done what we can for her. She has no broken bones just needed some stitches to her head. She has a concussion and some swelling. The brain appears to be fine, but the rest is up to her. Follow me."

Damon followed behind, but lingered in the doorway. Elena had a bandage over her eye and she was hooked up to a bunch of machines, and it was his fault. She could have died in his carelessness. He should have never let her go out alone. It was too risky, even in broad daylight. Jenna only stayed for about a half hour before she had to leave. She placed a hand on Damon's arm, squeezing it gently before leaving him alone. He took the chair next to Elena's bed, as he picked up her hand. "Hey Sweetheart," he whispered, kissing her fingers. "It's me. I wouldn't wake up for me either after what happened." He missed the warmth he was so used to from her as he tried not to break down. "I'm so sorry Elena." There wasn't even so much as a flicker of an eye lid and his heart sank.

***

It was bright. Too bright. That was the second thing Elena noticed. The first was a god awful headache she had. She groaned and allowed her eyes to flutter open. "Lights." She needed them off. It hurt too bad to have them glaring on her. She had to be in the hospital. It was the only place with lights that bright. Did she get hit by a mac truck, because that's what it felt like. All her muscles hurt, but her head was the worst.

The flicked off instantly and someone sat next to her. "Hey Baby." Damon. He was here with her. She didn't know what she would have done if she had woken up and had to ask for someone to call him. It would have just been to weird.

She smiled as his face focused in her vision. "Hi," she whispered softly. Her throat was so dry and she tried to remember what happened to her. "What happened?" She obviously had some head injury, which could have had a serious effect on her memory. She hoped there was no serious damage.

"Do you remember?" He asked. "With Katherine." He picked up her hand, holding it between his own. "Doctor's said you would be fine once you woke up. Stitched you up." So that's why her head hurt. When someone's head cracks against a wall then smashes to the floor, it usually causes some problems.

"Katherine," Elena repeated, and all her memories rushed back to her, being thrown across the room, but then darkness. "What did you do to her?" Would he really kill Katherine, for her? And were was Stefan, her supposed boyfriend? Did he even come to visit her once?"

"Nothing," Damon said, shaking his head. "I had to get you to the hospital, so she got away. I haven't gone to look for her. I told your aunt that you fell down some stairs, and she seemed to believe me." He got up to get her some water. "You've only been sleeping for two days," he said, coming back to her bed. "You feeling okay? No dizziness or anything like that? Doctor said your brain looked okay, just a concussion."

Elena gratefully accepted the glass. "Definitely got a concussion, but other than that I'm fine," she said, taking small sips. "Is everyone else okay?" Did Katherine come to Mystic Falls and murder a bunch of people? Her friends?

"Jenna and Jeremy have been here to check on you and haven't said anything," he said with a shrug. "And there haven't been any strange cases coming in." So she hadn't killed anyone yet. But that didn't mean anything. She wondered if Katherine had gone to see Stefan but she didn't dare ask Damon that.

"Good," she said. "I want to go home. So call Jenna. Let her know you're bringing me." She couldn't stay here anymore. She wanted to be home in her own bed.

***

Damon kept an arm around Elena's waist as he led her inside her house. It had taken about an hour to get all the paperwork filled out for her to leave the hospital, but finally she was home. She gave her aunt and Jeremy a hug and sat with them in the kitchen telling them about how she tripped and had fallen down some stairs, just like Damon said. After awhile, they seemed convinced that she was fine as long as she promised to rest, and they left her alone with Damon in the kitchen. "What a day," she groaned rubbing her temple.

"I never should have brought you on that trip," Damon said softly as he leaned against the counter watching her. "With the risk of running into Katherine, you could have been killed."

Elena looked up at him sharply and shook her head as she got to her feet. "I wanted to go," she said, going over to him to grab his hand. "It wasn't anyone's fault." She was fine now, and she didn't want Damon blaming himself for what happened. It was a risk she took being in his life. She was going to get hurt. Especially with Katherine involved.

"It was Elena," he said, shaking his head as he looked away from her. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. It would kill me."

"Damon," she said, gently. She cupped his cheek, turning his gaze back to hers. "Listen to me. I knew the risks. And even after everything that's happened, I wouldn't change it for anything." Her thumb gently moved over the sharp angle of his cheek bones. No more games. It was time to put it all on the table. She sighed a little when his forehead rested against hers and he whispered her name, and that's all it took. She raised her lips to meet his in a passionate kiss, her tongue seeking entrance to his mouth. Her arms slid around his neck as she opened her mouth under his, allowing his tongue to explore the sweet crevices of her mouth.

"Elena?"

A/N: Seems to be a regular thing huh lol with my cliff hangers. I'm loving your reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

Elena tore her lips from Damon's to meet Stefan's eyes. "Stefan," she said, licking her tingling lips. "Um…" Damon was an amazing kisser and it always took her a few minutes to get her bearings. She didn't like how Damon moved away from her and when she looked at him his face was void all emotion. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later, she just wished Stefan hadn't caught them. She didn't want him to find out like that.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked, folding his arms. She had no idea where to start, and she wished she could just disappear. Apparently she took too long to answer, because she could see the anger flashing in Stefan's eyes. "I asked you a question Elena," he said, taking an angry step toward her. She didn't think Stefan would hurt her, but he could hurt Damon, or try anyways. "Why are you kissing him?"

"Just relax," Damon said, stepping into the conversation. "The three of us can talk about this civilly right Stefan?"

"Stay out of this Damon," Stefan growled, his black eyes glaring at his brother. "You stay away from Elena. If I see you near her again, I'll kill you."

"Excuse me," Elena said, pushing on Stefan's shoulder. "Who the hell do you think you are? You can't decide who I do and do not see." She paused for a moment. "Things are different now. I went with Damon to find Katherine and some stuff happened." Might as well just put everything on the table, and not hold anything back before things got too out of control.

"You slept with him?" Stefan flared.

"I did not," Elena said, angrily. They didn't really sleep together, but she didn't need to give Stefan all the details. Nice of her boyfriend to think she would just jump into bed with this brother. "But I have feelings for Damon. Feelings that I cannot ignore. Katherine put me in a coma for two days. Where were you? I saw Damon when I woke up."

"He's just a saint," Stefan said sarcastically.

"Where were you?" Elena repeated. "Why weren't you with me at the hospital?" It was something that nagged in the back of her mind, why Stefan had never been in the hospital. He supposedly loved her, but didn't even come see her when she was in a coma? Didn't he wonder where she had been all this time? He hadn't even asked her how she was feeling.

"No one told me," Stefan said. "I went to see Bonnie, she told me you guys had a fight and that you took off."

Her head was starting to hurt, and she rubbed her temple. She didn't want to do this anymore. And it didn't seem like anyone cared about her feelings. She jumped when Damon gently touched her arm. "You need to go to bed," he said, gently guiding her to the stairs.

"I'll take her," Stefan said, coming to her other side.

Elena bit her lip and looked over at Damon. More then anything she wanted Damon to come with her, but she needed to talk to Stefan. She mouthed five minutes to him and he nodded once, stepping aside to allow them to go upstairs. Elena sighed as she finally collapsed on her bed. "Stefan," she said, gently fingering the bandage on her head that itched more then anything. "I love you… I do. But my feelings for Damon… they are very strong and very raw. I can't ignore them. I don't want to hurt you but there's no easy way to do it." She hoped Stefan could be mature enough to handle this reasonably and not go do something stupid.

Stefan frowned and stared at the floor. "He's your choice?" he whispered.

Tears welled in her eyes but she nodded as she stared at her hands. "I'm sorry." She knew it would be for the better. They could move on with their lives instead of beating around the bush everytime.

"Goodbye Elena," he said, and then he was gone.

Elena wiped her tears and went to her window as she watched Stefan drive away, before she opened it. Immediately Damon appeared she offered him a small smile. "I'm sorry you had to wait, but I had to do that."

"What did you tell him?" Damon asked.

She made her way toward him so she was standing in front of him. "Told him I didn't want to hurt him," she said. "But my feelings for you were too strong and that you were my choice." She wrung her hands. "I know I haven't come right and told you, but when I saw Katherine trying to sweet talk you, something snapped. It hurt to see you with her."

"Oh Elena," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. "I never thought…"

Elena snuggled into him and relaxed, knowing he was happy with her statement. He had been worried, hoping she'd chose him and now that she had, it was the best news. "I just don't want to be hurt," she admitted. "I wasn't sure what would happen with Katherine, or with us. I wasn't planning on anything happening at all, but it did. Then all this stuff…"

"You don't have to worry," Damon said shaking his head. "She's been my infatuation for a long time, I won't deny that. But Elena… you have no idea how you have changed me. She is nothing to me now." He smiled down at her, running his fingers through her silky locks.

She looked up at him and caressed his cheek. "When did you get so sweet?" She teased.

"Hey now," he said, scooping her up and carrying her to her bed. "You take that back."

Elena giggled and squealed as he started tickling her. "Damon stop," she gasped trying to get away from his wiggling digits. "Please… okay, you're not sweet."It had been so long since she had laughed like that. It felt like her life was nothing but dark and gloomy. Damon helped her have fun, and she loved that. She wanted to have some good times in her life, not just be surrounded by death all the time. It took a toll on some people.

His fingers paused as he smiled down at her. "That's better." He leaned down to kiss her softly. His lips gently pulling at hers. "You need rest, so I'll see you tomorrow."

She was mildly disappointed that he wasn't staying with her, but she nodded. She had gotten used to spending the night by his side the last few days, it was going to be weird sleeping alone. "You going home?" She asked. She hoped that he and Stefan could not kill each other, but she knew it was a lot to ask of them.

"Yeah," he answered gloomily. "I'll behave." She gave him a smile and kissed him once before and finally he pulled himself from her whispering goodnight before using the door for once to leave. God she needed sleep.

***

The next morning, Elena was slowly started to lose her mind. Damon wouldn't answer her texts and Stefan had told her he had information on her birth mother. She didn't want to see Stefan right now but she really wanted to know what he to say, and she wanted Damon with her. She hadn't told him she was adopted yet, and it was going to be a major thing her life right now. He needed to know. Despite her minor head ache, she drove to their house where Stefan was on the porch waiting for her. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she greeted. This couldn't be any more awkward, and she didn't feel right about it. "Did you really find anything out, because if this some kind of plan to change my mind about Damon, it won't work." If it was, she was going to be very angry. She was hoping she and Stefan could at least be friends, but it seemed like he was making the difficult too.

"Sit down, Elena," he said, sitting on the beigh couch that had taken up residence on the porch. "We need to talk." She sighed but sat next to him. "I did some digging," he said, folding his hands. "I believe your mother was killed."

Elena felt her heart drop. "What?" She whispered. "How?" That was the last thing she wanted to hear. She was hoping Stefan knew where she was, so she could get in touch with her. She deserved to know why her mother didn't want her. She had so many questions, and now they would never be answered.

"Vampires," he said, softly. "Vampire." He turned to look at her with serious eyes. "One in particular."

Elena shook her head. "No," she said. "It couldn't have been Damon." Now he was making stuff up. He was just trying to come between her and Damon, jealousy. She knew he was dangerous and he didn't value human life like Stefan did, but he had no reason to. No one had ever given him a reason to care about humans, until her.

"Why?" Stefan asked. "It's what he does, Elena. He kills people."

She moved away from Stefan and tried to process his words. "No," she said, again. 'Did you even ask him?" She wanted to see Damon, ask him herself. She couldn't stand these accusations from Stefan. She needed proof. She always needed proof. Everyone was given the benefit of the doubt with her until she saw otherwise.

"You mean while he was on vacation?" Stefan snapped. Elena glared at him and headed inside, but Stefan grabbed her harm. "I'm telling you he killed her. He's just playing you." He gently tugged her over to the table where there were papers laid out everywhere. "Look."

Elena's eyes scanned the police report, a woman attacked by an animal. And the picture. "How do you know it's Damon?" Stefan had been thorough. There was a pile of information here, but that didn't mean that it was Damon. No one could ever prove vampire attacks. Especially Damon's. He was too good.

"Her husband told me," Stefan said. "Mr. Saltzman."

This just got better and better and she put the file down. "I wanna see Damon," she said. Mr. Saltzman knew about vampires too? Great. And he could possibly be her real father. She could get her own answers from him, but right now she just needed to see Damon.

"Elena, he killed your mother," Stefan said angrily. "What more do you need? A video?"

The front door opened and Damon sauntered in, surprised to see Elena. "Should you be driving?" He asked, pausing. She looked horrified, devastated. "Elena, what's wrong?"

Elena swallowed her tears and picked up Isabel's picture before approaching him. "Do you know her?" She asked, her voice raw and scratchy. "Please tell me the truth."

Damon froze for a moment and sucked in his cheeks. Elena knew that this was already not going to go well. "Yes, her name is Isabel," he said, softly. "Why?"

"What happened to her?" Elena whispered. She prayed that Damon proved Stefan wrong and told her he had no idea what happened, but she could already feel it in her guy that this was going to fail, horribly. Her whole world was about to crumble down around her ears.

Damon sighed and put the picture back on the table. "Why the interest in her?" He asked, moving some of the papers around.

"Damon," Elena pleased. "I know you've killed people. That isn't the point, I just want to know what happened to her." She didn't care about his past or his mistakes, she just wanted to know about this one. She could live with all the rest.

"He killed her," Stefan said in frustration, standing along side of Elena. "Right Damon? You killed her."

"She came to me," Damon said defensively. He didn't like being attacked by anyone and he wouldn't take it sitting down. That much Elena knew about him, but it didn't matter at this point. He admitted to what Stefan had said. He killed her mother. "She was unhappy and found me on her own. She wanted it."

Tears started streaming down her cheeks as her knees wobbled. "Oh god," she whimpered, shaking her head. "She was my mother. My birth mother. And you killed her." How were they going to get through this? How could she look at him and not see her mother, knowing that she would never get to see her ever again?

Damon's face fell. "Elena, I didn't…" he reached for her but Stefan moved in front of her.

"Stay away from her," Stefan said. He sounded like a broken record.

Elena couldn't think or breathe as she ran out of the house. She had to go home, get away from them. Stefan appeared beside her, taking her keys from her trembling fingers. "I'll drive," he said, leading her around to the passenger side. She hadn't even been able to get the key in the door, much less drive.

She stared at her lap as her vision blurred from her tears. "I don't need you to stay," she said, once they were at her house. She just wanted to lay down, her head hurt so bad. She wanted to be alone so she could think and figure out what she was going to do now. Stefan would not be helping her in that department. He wouldn't be thinking about what is best for her.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he said, handing her the keys. "You needed to know the truth about Damon."

"Now I do," she mumbled heading up the walkway. She locked the door behind her and sighed. She was grateful that her aunt was out and she could be left alone. Her phone vibrated and she nearly burst into tears again seeing Damon's name. _'I'm sorry Elena. I didn't know. Please call me.' _She wanted to call him so badly, but she couldn't. She headed upstairs and froze when she saw him in her room. "No Damon," she whimpered. "I can't do this." He couldn't be here, not right now.

Damon made his way toward her. "Elena I didn't know you were adopted. There's more to this story," he said. "More then what Stefan told you to make you hate me. So please hear me out." She did owe him that and she nodded her head slowly allowing him to continue. "She wanted to be a vampire. She begged me to turn her. She didn't tell me she had children. No one ever told me about you being adopted."

"I found out a little while ago," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Just haven't had a chance to tell you. But she's still around? Just she's a vampire?" Then her mother didn't want to be found, didn't want to have her. She still wanted to look for her, demand answers.

"As far as I know," he said. "Elena, please believe me. I would never ever hurt you. Never again."

Elena bit her lip and got to her feet. She knew he would never hurt her on purpose, but that didn't change what had happened. "Damon," she said, wiping her tears and moving toward him. "I don't know how to do this. You killed my mother. How should I deal with that?" If he had suggestions, she was open for them. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces and it was killing her. She hated it. How was she going to be away from him?

Damon ducked his head in defeat. "You're right," he said softly. "You can't deal with it." He kissed her forehead tenderly before stepping away from her. "Goodbye Elena." Then he was gone. Just like Stefan. They both said goodbye, and just left. But she didn't give them much reason to do anything other than take off.

She allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks once more and curled up on her bed, her face buried in the pillow. She didn't hold back the sobs that wracked her body, as her heart slowly broke apart. The pain was unbearable, but she didn't see any other options. She just wished she could go back and do the whole thing over.


	7. Chapter 7

For most of the afternoon, Elena had herself a good cry, but that night, she needed some serious therapy. She washed her face and hoped no one could tell she'd be crying all day and she headed to the grill to at least get out of the house. Bonnie was there, and Elena knew she had to tell her friend, and at least get some advice. It was killing her to be away from Damon, and she had more than once pulled out her cell phone to text him and tell him she took it all back, but she didn't.

"Elena," Bonnie said smiling. "I'm so sorry about before."

Elena nodded and hugged her best friend. "It's okay," she said. She had never been mad at Bonnie. She knew what happened when you lost someone you loved. You lashed out at people. No one could help it. "I'm glad you're here. I need some advice." She had no idea how Bonnie was going to react to the Damon situation. Bonnie blamed Damon more than anyone for what happened to her Grams.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked, worry creasing her brow.

"Let's go outside," Elena choked. She was already going to start crying again. They moved to one of the tables right outside the restaurant and she told Bonnie everything that happened, from the road trip, to falling for Damon, and she was near tears at the end. "I just don't know what to do. He killed my mom, and I just don't know how to just get over that."

"But your mom is still out there," Bonnie said, handing her a napkin to wipe her tears. "What about Stefan?"

Elena shook her head. "I told him I wanted to be with Damon. I have feelings for them both, but it's so different with Damon." She was happy with her choice to break it off cleanly with Stefan. It was one less thing for her to deal with.

"I can see," Bonnie observed. "You know I'm your best friend, and I support you no matter what you do. Maybe it doesn't have to be this way." She bit her lip and sighed. "Look, why don't you go inside and get something to eat. I'll text you in a little bit."

Elena sniffled but nodded. "Food sounds good," she said, giving Bonnie one last hug before her friend left. Her stomach had been growling all day but she hadn't felt good enough to eat. At least she got to talk to her friend, so she had someone to talk to.

***

Bonnie bit her lip as she knocked on the door of the Salvatore house. Her stomach was doing flips, knowing what she was about to do. She smiled when Stefan answered. "Hey," she said. "Where's Damon?" She knew that was a bizarre question to be asking Stefan, and he probably never expected her to come here to see the older Salvatore brother.

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Drinking," he said. "Elena came to her senses so he's brooding."

"Stefan," Bonnie said, softly. "Elena is devastated. You have no idea what she's going through right now. I know you love her, and it hurts that she chose him, but you can't want to see her hurting like this. Now where is your stubborn brother?" It didn't seem like Stefan cared about Elena at all, just beating Damon at something. And that would only make things worse for Elena.

Stefan sighed and led Bonnie upstairs. "Yell if you need me," he said. "Who knows what he's like right now."

Bonnie knocked and headed in when she heart a faint 'yeah' from the other side. She opened the door and let herself in. "Hi," she said, crossing her arms. He looked wasted. Pretty much just like Elena, except with the added alcohol to drown his sorrows.

Damon raised an eyebrow from his chair. "To say I'm surprised would be an understatement," he muttered getting to his feet as he downed the rest of his drink. "What do you want?"

"You're not my favorite person," she said. She could see the pain in his eyes, and how much he cared for her friend. Much different than what she used to see in him. "But I saw Elena and she told me everything that happened with you two." She took a step toward him. "Her heart is broken Damon. I've never seen her like this."

"What would you like me to do?" He asked, looking at her with angry eyes. "I didn't know that woman was her mother. I would never hurt Elena on purpose." He was at a loss at what he should do to convince Elena that she made the wrong choice, so he was giving up. Giving himself into the bottle and Bonnie wasn't going to stand for it.

"I know that," Bonnie said. "I just think that you're giving up. You should go see her, and talk to her. She's not happy with what happened. Just think about it. She told me everything that happened. That has to mean something to you, that she'd be willing to tell me, knowing that I'm not fond of you."

"You came all the way over here to tell me to go see Elena?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I just wanted to see for myself what Elena was talking about," Bonnie said. "I can turn you into a toad if you hurt her, you know." And she left him alone with his thoughts.

God he missed her so much, craved her touch. She had disturbed feelings in him, he thought were long buried, and he needed her. Damon stared at the carpet for a moment and pulled his phone, ready to text Elena before Stefan and a still present Bonnie appeared in his doorway. "Elena has been kidnapped."

***

She was really tired of waking up in pain; it just wasn't that great of a feeling. And her head was never going to heal at this rate. Elena rubbed her sore temple as she sat up. She was in a bedroom that she didn't recognize. She jumped when the door opened.

"Well hello," Anna said, smiling.

"You again?" Elena asked. This seemed to be a regular pattern. Didn't they ever get bored? "What do you want this time?" They were persistent, she gave them that. But every time they tried something, it failed horribly.

"You know for someone who's going to die, you're very arrogant," Anna said. "Can't have the brothers interfering this time."

"They will come looking for me you know," Elena said. If they worked together, they could easily find her. She knew they would.

"Not after you broke both their hearts," Anna said. "I don't think either of them will be looking for you after that. Besides, you'll be dead by the end of the night." With that, Anna grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her from the room.

***

Damon paced his living as Stefan and Bonnie worked on a locator spell to find Elena. He knew Katherine was involved in this and if one hair was harmed on Elena's head, Katherine would be meeting a stake. He kept thinking about all the possibilities of where she could be and how badly she was hurt. It made him sick to think that she could be hurt or worse.

"She's at the church," Stefan said, jumping Damon from his thoughts. "It could be a trap."

"Let's just go," Damon said, leaving the house. He didn't care why she was there; he just knew he had to get to her. And no one was going to stop him. He could feel Stefan following him as he headed to his car. He broke every speed limit as he raced to the church and parked his car at the edge of the woods. Moving easily through the trees, he jumped down into the tomb without hesitation. He didn't bother waiting for his brother and he headed towards Elena's scent. She was crying and bleeding, which made him move even quicker. He moved to the center of the tomb where the vampires were located and saw her back. "There you are," he said, rushing to her. "Are you alright?"

"Damon," she said with a smile as she turned around.

"Katherine," he seethed. "Where is she?" His head was all turned around and he couldn't get his focus together, he couldn't even tell the difference. They didn't even smell the same. He was just so anxious to find her, to make sure she was safe, and he was being jumpy, taking the first the he came across, even if it could be a trap.

"Alive for now," she answered. "We were hoping that you would show. Can't have you interfering with this."

"What do you want?" He asked. He was not in the mood and Katherine may have some years on him, but he could take her if provoked. He wasn't someone to screw around with when he was pushed too far.

She raised an eyebrow. "It's not rocket science Damon." He couldn't remember if she had always been this much of a smart ass or if she was just trying to annoy him.

Damon sighed. "She isn't a part of this so I'm asking you not to hurt her. Can't you just give me that?" He asked. "After all the pain you put me through all these years, you owe me that." He didn't know if taking this from a different approach would work or not, just as long as he could find Elena and get her out of here.

"But I'm here now to make up for it," she said, taking a step toward him. "Once she and Stefan are dead we can be together. You still love me Damon. The world could be ours again." She reached out and caressed his cheek.

"Please take me to Elena," he said softly, moving his head away from her deceiving hands. "Then I'm asking you leave. Things are different now. I don't want the same things you want anymore." He just wanted her gone. Out of his life. Then he could live in peace and not have to deal with all this crap.

"You love her," Katherine sneered. "You used to look at me like that." She moved away from him and tilted her head. "Elena cannot know about her mother. You make her stop digging and I'll leave. You'll never hear from me again."

"Fine," he said automatically. He was not going to give her the satisfaction in what his feelings were. He wasn't even sure what the extent of them were for Elena, but Katherine didn't deserve to hear the words. "She better be okay." He followed Katherine down the passage where Elena was sitting on the ground, a circle of vampires around her.

"Damon," Elena said in relief. She seemed to be fine, unharmed, but that didn't mean anything yet.

"Let her go," Katherine said, crossing her arms. "We got what we came here for."

Damon relaxed slightly as Elena ran to him and he put his arms around her in a tight hug. "Go outside," he whispered. Just as long as she was outside, and safe with his brother, he could deal with the rest. She was okay, and that was all that mattered to him. Even if she hated him for what he did. He pushed her slightly even as she looked up at him with wide eyes but she did as she was told, looking back once before running out of the tomb to safety. Damon turned back to Katherine and the rest of the vampires. "I mean it Katherine," he said, turning on his heels and dashing out of the tomb. Once he was in the safety of the forest, Bonnie finished chanting her spell before breaking a crystal. The ground shook a little bit as the tomb crumbled. Damon flinched slightly; knowing Katherine was dead for good, then Elena ran over to him and slid her arms around his waist. "Are you okay?" He asked, moving her hair away from her head to inspect the small cut.

She nodded. "Just a scratch," she said. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," he said, stepping away from her. "Stefan can drive you home." She seemed just a little shook up but otherwise she was unharmed. That's all that mattered right?

"No," she said, shaking her head and staring at the dirt. "Can… can you drive me home?"

His heart nearly soared at those words, but they didn't mean anything. "Of course," he said, looking at Bonnie. "Thank you." He rested a gentle hand on Elena's back and guided her to his car before driving to her house. The drive was silent, even though there were a million questions racing through his head. He wanted to beg her to forgive him for what he did, but he wasn't like that. Things had been so messed up the last few weeks, he just longed for something be real. For it to be solid. But every time he felt he had that with Elena, something stood in their way.

"Want to come in?" She asked, her eyes glued to her fingers.

Damon bit his lip. "Elena…" He wanted to, he really did. But he had already gotten his hopes too high for his own good and he could already see himself falling back into the pit of despair.

"Please?" She whispered, looking up at him. "For a few minutes?"

He couldn't say no to her and he nodded with a sigh as they headed inside and up to her room. "Is your head really okay?" It was quiet; everyone was sleeping, like normal people should be.

"I'm fine, Damon," she said, locking her door. "I really am. I'm… I'm so sorry about what I said." Elena bit her lip and went over to him. She bit her lip a lot, and he could picture her chewing right through it one of these days. "I can't be away from you," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't know she was my mother and I shouldn't… it's not a deal breaker."

"What does that mean?" he asked, raising his head to meet her eyes, for once keeping himself open to her. Maybe she needed a little something from him, to make the right choice. Pushing her away certainly wasn't going to help him win her over. It wasn't like the movies.

"That I want to be with you," she whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. "If you still wanted…"

Damon cradled her face and lowered his lips to hers as he pulled her flush against his body. "Of course I still want to be with you," he said, wiping a lone tear from her cheek. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I've been miserable."

"I'm sorry," she said, her arms around him tightly.

He hugged her close to him. "Don't be. We'll be fine now," he said, softly, his forehead resting against hers. "Everything is going to be fine, Sweetheart." He'd make sure of it. He'd never hurt again.

Elena could do little but believe him.


End file.
